PRST STD
THE STATE OF MAINE'S BOATING NEWSPAPER
U.S. Postage Paid, #256
Bangor, Maine 04401
Maine Coastal News
Volume 21 Issue 11 November 2008 FREE
OFF THE CUFF - THE LOBSTER ECONOMY
By Sea Biscuit keep the feds outside the 3-mile line and take “don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the be true—well, I’ll stop right there.
Have you ever wondered why some care of our own. Okay, now it’s time to way out.” The drive to fish, fueled by easy Well, now how about the “Effort Reduc-
things happen? Whether it’s good or bad, rebuild that house. money and good fishing, has led to a major tion Plan?” Sounds fancy, but this one issue
they happen for a reason. When you look at The most important area in the Maine fallout. With many guys buying new boats has totally backfired on the industry. Tell
the lobster fishery, there’s a lot happening; lobster fishery that needs to be re-vamped is and gear – and then a bigger boat, just kept one man to take traps out and let another man
some good, some bad. Okay, before you say the economics area. This is a bad situation snowballing. Now I don’t blame someone for put traps in the water – sounds like equal and
“oh no, more gloom and doom,” please read for all of Maine. As many of you know, the working hard or for wanting more, but fishing opposite to me. Now here comes the frosting
on. global money thing is not working well. It’s is not a predictable thing. You must plan for for the cake: let’s allow a recreational fishery,
Lobstering is very much like physics; kinda’ like all the big fish eating up all the little the rainy day, whatever it may be. as well. Let’s put 10,000 traps in the water so
for every action there will be an equal and fish, but all the little fish were sick and now With the world in an economical uproar Jack and Jill can play on the bay. Now I’m not
opposite reaction, if not physical, definitely all the big fish are sick and dying. When a for the past five years, somebody should mad that they’re out there, but that they do
in principle. One case in point, trap limits bank buys up another bank, they also buy up have seen this coming. Me, I don’t have a have an unaccounted impact on the fishery.
have put more traps in the water than before their debt as well. Buy up too much debt and boat payment, “thank God!” But I did put off Here is some basic math for you: 2,000
we had trap limits. This is just one example you buy trouble. building a new boat last year because I did licenses x five traps per license = 10,000 x one
and if you think about this, you will probably Over the last decade, many lobster deal- see it coming. One thing I did different this pound per trap per week, that’s five lobsters
be able to come up with a lot more. Here’s the ers and co-ops relied too much on Canadian year; was to try and fish more efficiently. I cut per license per week, not a lot, but that’s
sad part of all of this: each time we think we processors to move lobsters – bad move, bait cost and fuel cost, reducing overhead 10,000 pounds per week out of the retail
can fix something, we only have made more never put your eggs in one basket. We must and increased trap productivity. As of this market sales. At $3.00 per pound, that’s
problems in the end. So what can we do? If work to keep our own viable markets and not week (27 October), operating cost is down 30 $30,000.00 a week out of the market. Now call
you have a house that keeps falling apart, be dependent on Canada. If Canada needs percent and fishing is up 25 percent. I like it. me crazy, but I bet these numbers are lower
you rebuild it, not just re-paint it. Well, that’s the product, then we should dictate the mar- When the price of lobster fell, I slowed down than what the actual numbers would really
where the lobster fishery is at. ket price. When I buy a steak dinner, I don’t because I could. Unfortunately, not every- be.
When I say that we need to rebuild the say what I want to pay. I pay what the bill one could. That is why we must revamp our I truly believe that it’s time to re-build
fishery, I don’t mean the resource. The says, plus the tip! markets. our industry in a way that you can fish, make
lobster resource is in very good shape, but Many Maine fishermen are also caught One market ploy that’s being talked a living, support your family and be proud of
we must protect it for all it’s worth. Maine has up in this economic mess, unfortunately of over is to certify the Maine Lobster fishery it. As you can see, this is only a fraction of
spent many years conserving their fishery. their own doing. As I was saying before, as a sustainable resource. This has many what needs to change. There is a whole lot
It’s too bad the states to the “Southard” over the past ten years, money was easy to pros and cons, so please don’t think this is of work to be done. I’m not saying that I have
can’t figure that out. Sixty years of conser- get, not like twenty-five years ago when I all gravy for the fishermen. Remember what the answer – idea, opinion because I care,
vation should tell them something. Right?! started fishing. Back then, if I walked into a I said earlier about equal and opposite reac- YES. We have to sit down, roll up our sleeves
When Maine sits down with NMFS and bank and said that I would like to borrow tion. I strongly urge all parties involved to and “just do it.” Not everyone will be happy,
ASMFC, Maine should be praised for what $10,000.00 to buy traps and gear or put it look into this matter very closely. I say this
we have done, not condemned. We should toward a new boat, the banker would’ve said because when something looks too good to
Continued on Page 22.
C o n t e n t s
Publisher's Note 2 Sailing Expedition 7 Canadian Fishing News 13
Yacht Racing News
Calendar of Events 2 Arctic Report Card 7 Snowe Addresses Industry 15
Roy Disney Honored 23
MLBRA Fall Meeting 4 Commercial Fishing News Boat Yard News 17
Scott Young Wins 6X 23
BlueJacket's New Model 5 ASMFC Fall Meeting 8 Epoxy vs. Polyester 18
America's Cup Hall of Fame 23
Waterfront News Misc. Commercial Fishing News 9 Composite Course Offered 18
Maritime History: Pitcairn Island 26
Pettit's Green Paint 6 Herring Issues 11 Johanson Boat Works Paint Bay 19
Maritime History: 1890s 28
Ocean Acid Study 6 Fish Prices - Portland Fish Exc 12
Classified Ads 31-39Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Page 6 | Page 7 | Page 8 | Page 9 | Page 10 | Page 11 | Page 12 | Page 13 | Page 14 | Page 15 | Page 16 | Page 17 | Page 18 | Page 19 | Page 20 | Page 21 | Page 22 | Page 23 | Page 24 | Page 25 | Page 26 | Page 27 | Page 28 | Page 29 | Page 30 | Page 31 | Page 32 | Page 33 | Page 34 | Page 35 | Page 36 | Page 37 | Page 38 | Page 39 | Page 40